Assistant Collections Manager
Gantz Family Collections Center
"Lauren Smith is currently a Collections Assistant in the Division of Mammals. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a focus in Scientific Illustration.
Lauren began volunteering at the Field Museum in 2011, working in the Mammals Prep Lab. There she learned how to prepare mammal specimens for the collection and from this training, began working on an artist’s portfolio dedicated to floral and faunal anatomy. Since then, she has worked on a variety of projects including the digitization of specimens for the collection, photographing microscope slide mounted material, hand illustrating for a variety of scientific publications, and training new volunteers in the art of dissection.
In 2016, Lauren was hired for a full time position in Mammals and continues to aid in the conservation and preservation of the collection. She works on her illustration portfolio daily which is constantly inspired by her activities working in the Collection of Mammals."
Education and Work
B.F.A., The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2011